“I love Adrian,” Sugarman said, via the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “But let’s make this clear: I’m still not going to be quoted as saying he’s going to play in the first game. That’s not fair. I don’t know that.”

Sugarman also added that the goal is to have him ready to play for the upcoming season “but only if he’s functionally able to do it.”

Peterson is coming off of ACL and MCL surgeries, but has been able to run in a straight line in recent weeks. In fact, he wound up beating his teammates in four-straight drills. While he’s yet to begin cutting on his repaired knee, he is expected to begin doing so at some point this week. I can understand why Sugarman is trying to downplay some of the expectations regarding Peterson, but his recovery thus far has been nothing short of amazing.